FILMMAKERS ARE THE WITCHES, NOT ME (SHOWBIX=Z, BACK PAGE)

By George Ernest Asare

The ingenuity of creating scenes of witches in Ghanaian movies has won the admiration of popular actress Akua Ataa, who plays witches roles in the much-talked-about series, Kyeiwaa.
Akua Ataa, popularly called Kyeiwaa, told Showbiz in Kumasi that she is often amazed at the many tricks that filmmakers use to make her appear to be doing supernatural things in movies.
“When people see these movies, many of them believe that I am really a witch”, she said. “The film directors are the real witches and wizards because they direct me on how I should act.
“Sometimes I am surprised to watch a film I have done and see myself flying because I cannot fly”. She explained.
In the 13-part movie series, Kyeiwaa and her team of witches prey on their victims and kill them or cause them to suffer various forms of social crises. “All such scenes”, she said, “come about as a result of the ingenuity of my film director and editor”.
“I do not fly as you are made to see, it is the directors and editors who manipulate their devices to create those scenes. They are very creative in their profession, and I marvel at how they do it.
“In one film, they asked me to sit on a horse and behave like a witch, but I told them that I was afraid to sit on a horse, so the director decided that I should sit on a table instead and behave as such. When the film was produced eventually, all I saw was that I was flying, holding my sword of office and behaving as a queen of witches”
Obviously, Kyeiwaa loves what she does. “I enjoy playing my role because it has now made me very popular, such that anywhere I go, people from all walks of life recognise me and offer me support and encouragement”.
Beaming with smiles, Kyeiwaa said, “I have come very far in film acting, and therefore I am prepared to offer my best to make my fans happy”.
Asked whether she was making enough money from her acting career, she said “I have no car but by the grace of God, I have my own three bedroom house in Accra, so I cannot say that I am doing badly. Besides, the genuine support I get from fans anywhere I go is valuable to me, so I am happy for what God has done in my life.
“There was a time in my life when I had to pray for my next meal, so I have cause to give thanks to God and the people who have made me what I am today” she said.
She promised to offer needed support to up-and-coming actresses and actors to accelerate the growth of the Ghanaian movie industry.
“We have a lot of potentials in the youth who are yet to come out. They have the talent which when nurtured effectively and efficiently would soon turn them into stars in future, so they need to be supported to enable them unearth their talents” she said.